The litmus test for any suspense thriller is its ability to secure the undivided attention of its audience from the very start – and to hold it throughout. Fever lacks the requisite swiftness demanded by this genre and the conviction needed to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.The film follows a man (Rajeev Khandelwal) who wakes up in hospital in Berg, Switzerland, with only a vague memory of his past. All he knows is that his name is Armin, that he is from Paris and that a woman called Rhea is important to him. And then, he starts seeing visions of a murdered woman.

Armin meets Kavya (Gauahar Khan), who becomes his confidant and helps him piece together his past. Soon it is revealed that Armin was a contract killer and Rhea was his last target, with whom he ended up falling in love. Soon, another murder takes place and Armin is again clueless about things. Next, he crosses paths with Rhea, who tells him that his name is Karan, not Armin. How the film progresses takes the story forward.

Writer-director-editor Rajeev Jhaveri tries his level best to weave together an intriguing film. Although, the basic premise of the film is impressive but only if handled with zest, the film could have been a delight to watch.

It is not easy to tie together such a complex story and Jhaveri partially succeeds. But the story, at times, defies reason. For instance, even though Armin has lost his memory, he trusts Kavya, who appears suspicious from the very beginning. Also, Rhea meeting Armin during his search for his identity is all too coincidental.

As a director, Singh is inconsistent. There are scenes that might work hypothetically in the screenplay but fail to connect when presented on the big screen. A big plus is that the music blends beautifully with the narration. Cinematography is just about okay. Editing is weary. With a runtime of 128 minutes, the film is balanced pre- and post-interval.

Performance-wise, Rajeev Khandelwal is brilliant and perfect for the role. He stays true to the character throughout. Gauahar Khan plays her part beautifully. Gemma Atkinson is adequate in her role. Catrerina Murino has limited screen time but excels. Victor Bannnerjee is okay. Ankita Makwana fits the bill. The rest of the cast play their parts well.

Plot: A man who recently lost his memory sets out on a journey to get back his identity. All that he knows is his name and his profession-a contract killer. On his way to collect pieces that would help him complete the puzzle, he meets Kavya Choudhari and falls for her. The woman also offers him a hand to help him find out about himself.

However, hallucinations of a girl he murdered before losing his memory keep haunting him; only to realize that she is alive and her version of his identity is complete different from what he had been thinking it to be!

Performances: ‘Fever’ belongs to Rajeev Khandelwal! He is there from the first to the last scene; and steals the show with his act. He is suave and charming when required; and plays the man who is suffering due to memory loss, and gets constant hallucinations, with complete conviction.

Caterina Murino is completely wasted.

Was it the overdose of Gauahar Khan, or was it her overacting? It’s hard to say. But she truly is the weakest link and should rather stick to reality TV shows or do films where the melodrama doesn’t spoil the fun.

The only actress who does complete justice to her role is Gemma Atkinson. She is a complete delight to watch. Plus, Gemma and Rajeev make an adorable on-screen pair!

Direction: A roller-coaster ride filled with twists and turns, ‘Fever’ is Rajeev Jhaveri’s triumph as a story writer; but not as a director.

It is the presentation of the film that turns out to be a disappointment! The slow pace is a big turn off. Plus, every time the film starts moving ahead, there’s Gauahar Khan stepping in bringing along the doze of romantic melodrama which starts to irritate after a while. The storyline does demand romance between Gauahar and Khandelwal…lekin itna zyada?

Thanks to the weak narration, it doesn’t take much time to figure out who the real culprit is. Only thing you can do is wait for the movie to reveal the real reason behind it all.

Let’s be honest- if ‘Fever’ was directed properly, and director saab wouldn’t have fallen into the trap of pleasing the Indian audience with romantic melodrama, then this would have been a movie to remember!

Some even called ‘Fever’ an amalgamation of the Jason Bourne and James Bond series; but that has been wonderfully justified during the last act of the film. In fact, after knowing the reason- you would fall in love with the storyline even more!

The cinematography is awesome, thanks to the picturesque locations and the color grading which makes every scene look beautiful.

I recently read that ‘Fever’ would be remade in Italy and France, and if that truly is happening- then I am looking forward to those movies.

Combo-On-Offer: Suspense + Thriller + Romance

Verdict: We give ‘Fever’ CLAPS for its terrific storyline, wonderful performances by Khandelwal and Atkinson, and for making a genuine, though flawed, attempt at making a Hollywood style suspense-thriller!